


i feel so broke up (i wanna go home)

by youreapartofthelgbtcommunity



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, goes back to fluff, goes to angsty, it starts as fluff, just her dad, not parents plural, song title from call my dad by ajr!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youreapartofthelgbtcommunity/pseuds/youreapartofthelgbtcommunity
Summary: Emma gets a surprise visit.
Relationships: Alyssa Greene/Emma Nolan
Kudos: 60





	i feel so broke up (i wanna go home)

Emma was in the middle of playing Animal Crossing when the doorbell rang. She put down her controller. “I’ll get it!” She called out, getting up to walk to the door. 

It was odd, in a sense. They lived in upstate New York- a few years in the city got really crowded really fast and spending a few hours in a car with her wife didn’t get boring so they’d moved. It still gave them easy access to the city, only a two hour drive, but that didn’t mean they got many visitors. While walking, Emma pondered if it was maybe Greg driving up from the city for a surprise visit. That didn’t seem too unlike him. Before Emma knew it she was absentmindedly opening the door and- 

“...Dad?”

Standing in front of her was her dad. Her dad who hasn’t talked to her in almost ten years. Emma’s been emotionally and internally preparing this moment, thinking up a hundred things to say. Instead of all the angry and hurt she could yell, or anything else she thought of saying to him, she managed to get out an incredibly weak “How did you find my address?”

“Facebook.” He mumbled. “It was kind of a hit or miss, I had no idea if your house was actually here. This was just the general area where you set your location sometimes and I asked around the nearby town if I could find where you lived. I explained I was a family member looking to reconcile. One of them ended up telling me the general direction you lived in and I just.. Took a lucky shot?” Roger Nolan shrugged.

“You’re here to reconcile? Y- What?” Emma was frozen in her spot, trying to not cry, trying to stop shaking. She didn’t trust herself to be weak in front of her dad. Not anymore.

“Emma?” A soft voice called out. “What’s going on?” Emma turned around to see Alyssa.

“My- my dad’s here?” Emma said, but it came out as more of a question. She saw Alyssa tense up. “Give me a minute, ‘Lys. I’m just figuring out what he wants.” Alyssa looked cautiously from Roger to Emma, and nodded once, before walking over to the kitchen. Emma turned around and glared at Roger. “What do you want?”   
  


“Two things.” He mumbled. “I’m not going to act like I’m not asking for something- I need somewhere to stay. I was in the city for business and my hotel fell through so I was wondering if your couch wasn’t occupied? I also-” He paused, his expression getting more sincere. “I want to apologize. For not reaching out. For kicking you out in the first place. I reflected on my actions and realized God made you the way you were for a reason and I didn’t accept that. I’m sorry. You don’t have to forgive me, I know you don’t. But if you’d give me the chance, Emma..”

Emma’s shoulders tensed. “You can come sit in the living room, but I need to go talk with Alyssa about it.” Her dad tilted his head in confusion. “My wife.” Emma elaborated. She turned on her heel and walked into the kitchen.

“My dad wants to stay here. For the week. To reconcile with me and because his hotel fell through.” Emma said blankly, sitting down at the table.

“Do you want him to?” Alyssa asked gently, putting her hand on Emma’s shoulder. 

“I mean,  _ yea _ . He’s my dad. If he wants to apologize and ask for another chance I want to give him that. But I’m so afraid he’s going to hurt me again. I can’t go through that.”

“You have Barry, Deedee, Hawkins, Trent, Angie, Sheldon, Greg, Betsy, and me. You have all of us. If your dad is lying- if he’s not being genuine at all, we throw him out of here and we drive down to watch Barry in  _ Scott: The Musical _ ” 

“Please don’t tell me that’s a musical about Michael Scott from  _ The Office _ .”

“It absolutely is a musical about Michael Scott from  _ The Office _ .”

Emma chuckled, then looked towards the living room. “He can stay.” She got up slowly. “For now.”   
  


Alyssa smiled. “If that’s what you want.”

Emma thought about it, then nodded sharply. “It is.”

* * *

“Dad? We decided you can stay. I just- I’m trusting you, I don’t know why, but I’m trusting you to tell me the truth. What do you really think about me?”

Roger got up and slowly walked over to Emma, sighing. “I don’t understand it. I’m not going to lie, Emma. I don’t understand how this whole being gay thing works. But I’m willing to accept you. Because you’re my daughter, and I love you.” 

Emma’s strong, tough facade crumbled, and she sniffled before throwing her arms around her dad. Roger had a solemn face and hugged Emma back, letting her sob into his chest.

Alyssa watched this from the doorway to the kitchen and smiled softly. But for some reason despite how perfect this seemed, she couldn’t shake the pit forming in her stomach.

* * *

“How is Rosie, Mr. Hawkins?” Alyssa asked, watching the outside of the house from the window, Roger and Emma were hiking towards the old abandoned barn on their property. 

“ _ Oh, she’s just as kind as a five year old can be. She’s very extroverted, that’s definitely something she picked up from her mother. _ ” Hawkins laughed. “ _ How are things up there? _ ”

“Emma’s dad is staying with us.”

“ _ Roger? I thought he still lived in Indiana. _ ” 

“He was in the city for business when his hotel fell through, and we’re letting him stay on the couch. He wanted to fix things with Emma. It’s kinda sweet. They’re headed towards this old barn on the property.” 

“ _ Well I’m glad. I bet Barry’s jealous, though. _ ”

“Oh we’re not telling Barry.” Alyssa laughed, walking past the basement door and- Why was the basement door open?

“ _ I’m glad, he’d probably think he’s being replaced. Even if he did the replacing. Not like Roger didn’t deserve all the shit he got. Are you sure you trust him? _ ” Alyssa just shrugged, until she remembered Hawkins can’t see her. 

“I don’t trust him. But if it makes Emma happy I’ll give her a chance. She’d never say it, but I can tell she’s been praying for a moment like this.” She slowly descended to the basement. They usually never went in here. Alyssa was walking through when her foot hit something and she gasped. “Mr. Hawkins, I have to go.” Before he could reply, she hung up.

She knelt down and tilted her head, looking at the box Emma had never really unpacked, putting it in the basement for safekeeping. 

Alyssa had a frightening idea as to why the box labeled  _ grandpa’s things _ was off of it’s shelf and open. 

* * *

“This game barely makes sense.” Roger chuckled, fumbling with his game controls. “Why not just drive a real car?”

“Oh yea, dad. Because real cars have giant blue spiky shells you can throw at people.” Emma grinned. 

“Touché” He laughed. “Or giant turtles. I played the original games on my gameboy when I was a kid. Your grandfather gave one to me for my seventh birthday and I was hooked. It’s nice to play Nintendo after years. I may have forgotten a bit.”

  
“Luckily you have your daughter who’s a Mario Kart expert here to teach you.” Emma smiled.

* * *

Alyssa woke up in the middle of the night. For some reason, she just hadn’t been able to sleep. But the fact that she heard shuffling didn’t help. Slowly she got up, ignoring Emma’s grumble. She did make sure Emma was still asleep though- and when she realized she was, she continued towards the basement. 

“Mr. Nolan, what are you doing down here?”   
  


“Just looking for something..” Roger squinted, thinking. “Alyssa? You’re Alyssa, correct?”

“Yes. I want to know why you’re looking through Emma’s grandpa's stuff.”   
  


“There are just a few things in here I wanted to look for. I just wanted to see.. I’m leaving tomorrow, afterall.”

“Would that have anything to do with why you have the keys to the pickup truck?” Alyssa said blankly.

Roger finally looked up. “I- I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“I’m a very observant person, Mr. Nolan. Now, do you want to tell me why you’re here?”

“For my daughter.”   
  


“Is that right?” Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Or are you here to steal her grandpa’s things and her car?”

“They were my dad's things. It was my dad's car. It belongs to me.” Roger said, glaring at her. “Why should Emma get it?”

“Because Emma was a better child to him and Betsy than you ever were? Because she didn’t grow up to steal things from her children and then leave?” Alyssa said angrily. “Were you just going to never talk to her again? Just hurt her like you did eleven years ago?”

“I was going to keep in touch.” Roger said weakly. “I thought maybe if I talked to her enough I could convince her that these things she’s feeling-”

Alyssa was so angry she didn’t even notice a third pair of footsteps. “You were trying to convince her she’s not gay? Mr. Nolan, you should leave.  _ Without _ our car keys.” She snapped. “Now.”

“Even if she is gay,” Roger started. “You’re quite bossy for a wife, aren’t you Alyssa Greene?”

“ _ That’s Alyssa Nolan-Greene to you. _ ” A voice boomed from the top of the staircase. “I did not invite you into my house, I did not give you a place to sleep for you to insult my wife, for you to insult one of the only good things that happened to me in highschool.” 

  
“Emma.” Roger’s face softened. “I just wanted to look through an old photo album, I-”

“Get out of my house, Roger.” Emma said.

“What? Emma, I’m your dad.”

“That’s not what you said when you kicked me out. I’m returning the favor.” Emma marched forward. “Get out of my fucking house. I never want to see your face here again.” She snatched her car keys from him. Roger faltered. “Get out before I call the fucking police because you tried to steal my car!”

At that, Roger apologized profusely. “Emma, I’m sorry, I-” 

“You don’t get to call me Emma. Get out.” She said. “That’s the last time I’m saying it before I dial 911.” 

Roger looked at her in disbelief, before slowly walking upstairs. For a few minutes, Emma was frozen, until she heard the slam of a door.

It was like it was her cue, because the second Roger was out of the house, she crumpled into Alyssa’s arms and started sobbing. Sobbing because she’d been stupid enough to trust him again. Sobbing because she let herself be vulnerable for  _ once  _ in her life.

Alyssa held her. She let Emma let everything out and just sob, and Alyssa rubbed reassuring patterns on her back. She didn’t say much, until the sobs died down after what seemed like hours into quiet whimpers and sniffling. 

“You deserve better.” She said softly. 

Emma cried harder.

* * *

“Emma, are you gonna come outside your room today?” Alyssa sat on her side of the bed, rubbing Emma’s shoulder.

“No.” Emma grumbled. “Why is it so important?”

“Because I invited a few people over.”

“Wh-”

Suddenly, a small child jumped onto the bed. “Hi, aunt Emma!”

Emma turned over, her face lighting up. “Hi, Rosie. Are your mommy and daddy here?”

As if on cue, Deedee burst through the door, followed by Mr. Hawkins and Greg. Then Trent, then Sheldon, then Angie, and finally Barry, holding a white plastic bag in his hands.

Like he said so many years ago at another point where Emma felt particularly low, Barry smiled. “We brought Häagen-Dazs.”

Emma chuckled. “Thank you guys. Wait-” She paused. “Trent, why are you here?”

“That is the question, isn’t it.” Barry said blankly, looking towards Trent.

“I was in town.” Trent paused, before slumping his shoulders. “I took a break from teaching because the Non-Equity cast of Godspell tried touring again. It didn’t go well.”

Alyssa grinned, laying down next to Emma. “We’re all here for you, Em. Just like I said. You don’t need your dad. You have us, and we’re not going anywhere.” She said, before kissing the inside of Emma’s hand.

Emma smiled. “Promise?”

Alyssa looked around, at the actors, Sheldon, Mr. Hawkins, Greg, and little five year old Rosie Hawkins-Allen. This right here, this was love. More of a family than Roger ever was to Emma.

“I promise.” 

  
  



End file.
